Holiday Availability: All IES Abroad offices will be closed on Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31, and Jan 1 as we take some time to celebrate. During the weeks of 12/22 and 12/29, our team will be smaller, so responses may take longer than usual. Thanks for your understanding—and happy holidays!
Social Anxiety During Orientation
Coming to England I knew that any mental health struggles I already had would not go away, and that I would need to find a new way to navigate them. However, being in a new country and making new friends is difficult no matter how much I mentally prepare myself. I found this to be most poignant during orientation. For someone with social anxiety, such as myself, being put in a room with hundreds of new people and feeling the pressure to make new friends immediately is a lot.